Tuesday’s shooting marked the third time Steve Holley had to pick up his sons from school under these circumstances. But it was the first in which his own child was a direct witness to — and survivor of — such a tragedy.

“This community, in Colorado, we’ve been through so much recently,” Steve Holley said.

“Enough is enough. We need to make a change and we need to do something or else we’re just going to continue failing our kids.”

As the situation unfolded Tuesday, Steve Holley shared on Twitter his experience of waiting to reunite with his children.

Fortunately, he knew early on that his sons were safe, he said.

A friend called to offer to pick up his other son “due to what was going on at STEM,” Steve Holley tweeted.

Meanwhile, Nate had borrowed a cell phone and called his father from the classroom, he said.

“I told him to be brave,” he said. “I told him I loved him and that I was on my way.”

For nearly five hours, the Holleys waited with hundreds of parents at a recreation center to be reunited with his children.

He’s grateful to law enforcement for their handling of the situation, but heartbroken by what his children and their classmates went through.

When asked about the decision to let his son appear on television, Steve Holley said he left it up to Nate, and Nate chose to speak.

“But I do feel it’s important to hear not only from the adults but to hear from the kids,” the father said.